Cancer
by iizninja
Summary: Puck had always been there for her. Now, when he needs her to be there for him, Sabrina has to make a choice. Does she save him, or does she save the world? How much is she willing to sacrifice in the end? Pre book 9
1. Chapter 1

**This came to me in a dream. Okay, not really but I like how philosophical it makes me sound. "My subconscious and I, in our infinite wisdom, have created something again!" ~Insert maniacal laugh~ **

**This story is about Sabrina having to choose between two things that she loves. This chapter kind of prefaces the danger in both choices. It's a catch twenty two, and in a few chapters I'd like to know what you would do in her situation. Any how, I hope you enjoy it! I'm always welcome for people to tell me when my grammar or writing is lacking, so feel free to review and yell at me. I mean, the worst you can do is use Caps Lock... ^.^**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Cancer Chapter 1: Falling<em>**

"We're back!" Sabrina Grimm called through the house as she and Puck stumbled through the door.

"Oh Sabrina," her mother said stepping from the kitchen, "I was starting to get worried..." her voice trailed off as she looked at the teens. Sabrina was covered in dust with leaves strewn in her tangled hair and a scowl firmly planted on her lips, and Puck had a fresh hole in his hoodie, which was seemed minuscule compared to the fact that half of his body was bruising. He slammed the door causing the whole house to shake and making Sabrina wince before throwing a deadly glare his way.

Mrs. Grimm dropped her spoon and rushed over to the two of them, feverish hands fretting over every bump and scratch. Words babbled out of her mouth as she checked each of her babies over, making sure that they were more or less intact.

Sabrina gently pushed Veronica's hands away. "Mom, we're fine."

Puck scoffed, "Speak for yourself." She stuck out her tongue.

"Wow... what happened?" Daphne asked coming from the stairs. Her bunny slippers flopped with her pigtails as she came up and gently hugged them both.

"Puck dropped us in the middle of the forest," Sabrina grumbled, shooting another glare at the fairy.

Puck rolled his eyes. "I fell!"

"Yeah right, you did it so you could make fun of me," Sabrina growled walking past her family and into the kitchen.

Puck was right on her heels. "Do you think I would've risked hurting my beautiful face for a laugh? I seriously fell."

Sabrina narrowed her eyes at him as she beat the dust off of her clothes. "Seriously?"

The fairy nodded. "Yes!"

"Just like you were serious when you told Daphne that a troll was going to come and steal her socks?"

"Oh that's cold," Puck winced shaking his head. "A guy makes one mistake and he's pegged for life."

"I wouldn't actually call it one mistake," Daphne added, "You've been telling me giblets like that since we first came to Ferryport landing."

"Number one, that's not true; number two... giblets?" Puck protested.

Daphne beamed. "It's my new word! It kind of replaces 'stuff' you know?"

"Well then," the blonde girl sneered as she walked up the stairs, "I'm gonna go take a shower to try and get all these... 'giblets' out of my hair. Try not to _fall_ before I get back."

Puck scoffed and rolled his eyes as he snatched something out of the fridge, plopped down at the table, and ripped off the lid angrily shoveling the food into his mouth.

"Honestly Puck," Veronica chided wiping her hands on the blue apron round her waist, "you're getting older. It's time for you start maturing."

Puck slammed the bowl down and let out a loud burp. "I'm not getting older."

"Oh, just admit it," Daphne said as she picked up the bowl and started eating the goop herself. With a full mouth she taunted, "You're getting older because you _love_ Sabrina."

"No marshmallow, you don't understand. I'll admit, I _was_ getting older, but I've stopped growing." Puck fiddled with his flute, passing it from hand to hand absentmindedly with a thoughtful frown on his face.

Mrs. Grimm frowned and touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "Are you okay, Hun? Do you feel alright?"

"You know I don't get sick lady," Puck said brushing her hand away. "I'm perfectly fine. Just... tired. I'm going to my room." Puck popped out his wings and looked at the stairs. Glancing at the tear in his hoodie and shuddering at the memory, he put his wings away and instead walked up the steps, wincing as he moved.

"Mommy," Daphne paused tapping her fork on the side of the bowl, "Do you think he really fell?"

"You know Puck. It was probably just a prank," her mother assured the small girl.

Daphne chewed on her bottom lip. "Yeah... but that prank wasn't really Puck's style. I mean, he didn't brag one time about how ingenious his joke was. And, while Sabrina had a few scratches, Puck looked like he fell a lot harder. It wouldn't be a very good trick if he got hurt while it was... executed."

Veronica smiled at her little girl, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair. "Now," she said dropping an oxen eye into her pot for one of Relda's recipes, "You're thinking like a detective."

Daphne's eyes brightened. "You think there's something up with Puck?"

"I think a Grimm can never be too careful."

"Unless you're so careful that you get maranoia."

"That's _paranoia_ hunny," her mother corrected.

"Oh... that does sound closer to what Uncle Jake was mumbling about dad."

Veronica laughed, and turned the heat down on her stew. As the middle-aged woman brought the wooden spoon up to her lips to taste, she couldn't help but glance at the stairs. Brooding on the situation was pointless, especially since she didn't have any reason to suspect something was wrong. Still, her heart felt heavy, as if it was weighed down with a grief she had yet to discover.

~Sisters Grimm~

Sabrina shampooed her hair, frowning at all the tangles she would have to brush out. Why did Puck have to be such a jerk? There was no reason for dropping her into the trees; she hadn't said anything wrong. Or had she? Sabrina furrowed her brow and thought back to earlier that day.

_Sabrina clasped onto Puck's worn hoddie as they flew over Ferryport landing, the chilled winter air biting at the tips of her ears._

_"Why on earth would you pick Pirates?" Sabrina asked with a frown. The debate of Pirates vs. Ninja was the subject of the hour._

_Puck scoffed, "Ninjas are dumb! All they do is make karate sounds and flail their arms in the air."_

_"Wrong! Ninjas don't make sounds. Unlike Pirates who yell at each other till their half deaf!"_

_"You mean like your yelling right now?" Puck smirked._

_Sabrina rolled her eyes. "A ninja would cut a pirates head off without the pirate even knowing he was in the room."_

_"Which means that the ninja can't take credit for it! And if you can't prove a ninja killed the man, then who's to say the ninja did anything?"_

_"If the guy's dead he's not going to tell anyone who killed him even if he did know! Isn't that one of your pirate things? 'Dead men tell no tales'?"_

_"Yeah, but-" Puck stopped mid sentence his eyes widening. Sabrina could feel the muscles in his arms go rigid and she gave him a concerned glance._

_"Puck," she started, lowering her voice. "Are you oka-"_

_He shuddered suddenly, causing her grip to slip, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his wings stopped beating, causing both of them to plummet towards the earth._

_The wind whistled as her hair whipped around her face. She was breathless for one second, then blatantly aware of the earth rushing towards her the next._

_"Puck!"_

_The fairy groaned as his vision came back into focus. His green eyes filled with a rapid clarity and he grabbed Sabrina's arm, pulling her over him at the last moment. They hit the trees tumbling, and branches whipped Sabrina in the face as her hair was tugged away from her scalp. Screaming, they slammed to the ground hard, knocking heads together._

_There was a moment of eerie silence as Sabrina was numb with fear. Then the pain started throbbing through her body. Sabrina rolled off of Puck and clutched her head. Glancing over at the fairy laying beside her, she noticed that he was breathing heavy and was as pale as a ghost._

_"Puck?" She asked cautiously, putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes flew open and he sat up, looking towards the sky. He regathered himself quickly, rubbing the back of his neck and throwing a shy look towards Sabrina. "Oops?"_

_Sabrina scowled, feeling stupid for actually caring if he was okay. "You did that on purpose," She grumbled. He gave a nervous laugh and stood up, hiding a wince. He offered her his hand, which she slapped away._

_"How about we walk from here?" Puck asked with a glint in his eyes._

_"Hmph!" Sabrina pouted and trudged on with her arms crossed. "Stupid pirate," she muttered._

_"Hey, it's not my fault that you and all your _ninja skills_ couldn't predict the future..."_

Nope, she thought as she watched the now brownish water run down the drain, she didn't say anything to make him mad enough to drop her. Turning off the shower and stepping out of the steam she tried to think about anything other than Puck. There was no denying that he had been acting weird, but if she ruminated on it too much she might find herself actually worrying about him. Tying her hair, still wet and dripping, up into a ponytail she slipped on some pajama pants and a stray shirt lying on the floor. When she opened the door to the bathroom she ran into Uncle Jake.

He exchanged the words: "Family meeting," then pushed past her into the bathroom. There was something about him... something in his aura that made Sabrina cringe and start downstairs. Dumping her old clothes into the hamper she knocked twice on Puck's door which meant for him to come down, and then headed to the family meeting.

When she got to the bottom step she heard her mother and her father talking softly. Knowing all about the art of sneaks she could tell that her parents were trying to hide something and, in her opinion, failing miserably. She strained her ear but couldn't hear what they were discussing.

Stealthily Sabrina made her way closer to the kitchen, stepping only on the floor boards close to the wall to prevent them from creaking and timing her footfalls carefully. When she had almost made it to the kitchen she felt, and smelled, a presence behind her. Turning, she saw Puck hovering over her with that stupid grin on his face.

"Why are you sneaking?" Puck asked quietly, letting the light glint in his eye.

Sabrina glanced back towards the kitchen to make sure her parents hadn't spotted them yet. "I'm not sneaking."

"I've known you too long. I know that you're sneaking," he said, smile widening.

"Yeah, well I see your wings are working just fine now. Maybe I should tell mom that you _did_ drop me on purpose."

Something cracked the arrogant mask he wore, though Sabrina couldn't figure out what, and he put his wings away, dropping to the floor. The floor boards creaked under his weight and the hushed conversation her parents were having immediately ceased.

"Sabrina? Puck?" Veronica called from the kitchen.

Glaring at the fairy Sabrina turned the corner and sat at the table looking away from the pointed look her mother was giving her. Puck walked into the kitchen as well and leaned against the wall, smirk back on his face.

Daphne came bouncing down the steps in her "Hello Kitty" pajamas and Elvis followed her with a rubber hot dog toy in his mouth. She sat down at the table, a little ball of energy, and suddenly Sabrina was jealous. Her body still ached from the fall and she hadn't been sleeping well. Dreams filled with longing and guilt towards Granny Relda that infiltrated her head kept her tossing and turning, and Daphne was still shining like there wasn't a care in the world.

Finally Uncle Jake walked into the room, the stubble of a dirty beard and bloodshot blue eyes earning a pitying look from Henry. Jake had never fully recovered from Briar's death.

"I guess your wondering why I called you all here," Uncle Jake began. When no one said anything he continued. "As you all know, Relda has been..." he seemed to struggle for the right word, "_possessed_ by the soul of Mirror. Red has gone to stay with Mr. Clay to see if she can remember anything important. The three fairy godmothers are watching little Basil with their protection spells, and Prince Charming's evil twin brother is somewhere plotting the destruction of the world."

"Yup," Puck said joining the group at the table, "death, destruction, pandemonium, and turmoil. That's the Grimm motto."

No one laughed at his joke.

"Did you call us down to depress us, or is there something else we need to know?" Sabrina asked her Uncle.

"Well, the good news is I found a way to kill Mirror," Uncle Jake said with a weak smile.

"And... the bad news?" Daphne asked rubbing Elvis between the ears.

Jake bit his lip. "Bunny said that the only way to get rid of him is to replace him. Think of the mirror like a computer, and it's guardian like software. Uploading a new software erases the old things without destroying your computer. The only way to free Granny Relda is to find someone to take Mirror's place."

"The problem," Veronica added, "is that we can't find anyone willing to replace him."

Daphne frowned. "What about Mr. Canis? Oh, I mean Mr. Clay."

"That ain't gonna happen Marshmallow," Puck said as he put his feet on the table, "that old man wants to die. Said he's spent his time on this earth. There's no way he'd trap himself again."

Sabrina glared at him and swatted at his dirty feet. "Stop being such a pessimist."

"For a pessimist I'm pretty optimistic," he retorted a full out smile on his mouth.

"_Shut up_," Sabrina warned, her fist clenching.

Puck leaned towards her, his green eyes gleaming. "Make me."

And Sabrina would've done just that if her mother hadn't pinched the both of them.

"Stop it, both of you!"

Sabrina pointed an accusing finger at the fairy, "He started it!" And Puck had the audacity to look surprised.

Veronica held up her hand. "As I was saying-"

"Wait," Sabrina interrupted, her brow furrowing, "Can anyone be the mirror's new master, or just other Everafters?"

Jake shrugged, "Well, anyone can I guess. But we're the only humans left in town."

"So how does this whole thing work? Like, does Bunny come and wave her hand over the person and their automatically the new master?"

Henry nodded, "Yeah, something like that. The person will be in the mirror and Bunny will transfer the knowledge and power of the previous mirror to them. The mirror accepts them as the new guardian and our Mirror is deleted from the picture."

"Would it hurt?" Sabrina pressed further. When her mother gave a weird look she covered, "Well, if we go out recruiting they might want to know."

Jake rubbed his chin, "That's a good point, Brina, but I don't think anyone has the answer to that. It's never been done before."

Sabrina wasn't done with her questions, "What about someone addicted to magic. Would it be okay for them to volunteer?"

Daphne answered, "Only humans can get addicted to magic."

"Well if we found a human who was addicted but willing, then we should know about the repercussions of letting them try!"

"Why does it sound like _you're_ trying to volunteer?" Puck asked, startling everyone.

Sabrina felt heat creep up on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Puck narrowed his eyes but, for once in his life, held his tongue.

Henry cleared his throat breaking the awkward silence. "To answer your question, Sabrina, I don't think an addict would have a problem accepting the responsibility of being the new guardian."

Sabrina nodded and ducked her head, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She'd almost been found out. And by Puck of all people!

"It's good that you want to help," Daphne said smiling kindly at her older sister.

"Yeah, well, believe it or not I actually _do_ want Granny back," Sabrina replied.

"And getting her back means _everyone_," Henry said glaring at Puck, "needs to help."

Puck returned the indignant tone. "You think I want to be stuck with all of you grumpy no-fun people? The old lady's the only one who lets me do what I want. Of course I'm gonna get her back."

Henry rolled his eyes at the boy before addressing the whole table. "So, now we have to find someone willing to replace Mirror. For the moment just think about people you'd want to ask, and tomorrow we'll go guardian shopping."

Puck groaned, "I hate shopping."

"Join the club," Jake laughed clapping the boy on his shoulder. Puck gasped, and immediately recoiled in pain. His green eyes went wide as he stared at his arm.

Veronica frowned, "Are you okay?"

Puck didn't respond, but ran up to his room and slammed the door shut.

~Sisters Grimm~

After the family meeting Daphne joined Sabrina in her room. Red was visiting Tobias Clay for the weekend, and the two girls had a lot to catch up on. Daphne ran a brush through Sabrina's long hair, and they just talked. It was obvious now that Daphne had fully forgiven her, and Sabrina was determined not to mess it up. It was great to have her sister back.

Of course, as the night progressed, they got to the subject of Puck. Daphne explained her theory about something being wrong with him, which she supported with his random outburst and exit of the meeting. Sabrina countered with her theory that Puck was just a butt head, which she supported with all the time they'd known him. Still, Sabrina did notice that Puck wasn't acting himself.

~Sisters Grimm~

Puck rolled up his pants leg, exposing his thigh. Three large inflamed circles marred his skin and sent burning fire through his veins. He'd thought this had healed months ago, but the throbbing now told him otherwise.

It was a dragon bite from the beast he had dropped off on the Grimm's porch what felt like an eternity ago. So minor it had healed before he'd even finished the thing off, and he'd almost forgotten about it completely. Almost. Lately, the whole thing had been giving him a bit of trouble.

"Must be that stupid puberty virus," Puck grumbled. But as much as he'd love to blame this on Sabrina there was something in his gut that told him things were a lot more serious than that. His wings had given out today for the first time since he was little, not to mention that when they did work his flying was sloppy and askew. It was almost like he was a baby again, his accuracy and skill draining away from him quickly.

Puck looked once more at the rip in his clothes. With a huff of frustration he tore off his hoodie and threw it on the ground. It was then that he spotted a spot of red on the dark green sleeve. He carefully examined the speck, turning the cloth over in his hands. That was strange. The dot almost looked like…

He felt something warm trickle down his arm, and immediately he wiped at it. Blood? Everafters were _not_ supposed to bleed from minor cuts or scrapes; especially not fairies. Puck frantically clasped his hand over the now bleeding wound.

Something was wrong with him. The wings, the blood, the bite… there was no way this could be good.

* * *

><p><strong>So? Whatdoya think? Hate it? Love it? Fry it? Eat it? Yeah, I'm just super hungry. In this story, and the oneshot I posted a few weeks ago, Granny Relda isn't an active member. That may seem wierd, but I can't write her in until Michael Buckley does. And... holy crap. I HAVE LEFTOVER PIZZA! Apparently I also have ADD.<strong>

**Please review. I like reading reviews and I'm going to do my best to respond to every single one of them!**

**Peace! God Bless! iizninja**


	2. Chapter 2

**\(*v*)/ You all are amazing! Your reviews are, really, what reminds me that I'm not just joy writing; reminds me that people are actually reading this and that it has to be GOOD. If I haven't responded to your review, and it was signed, that's probably because I didn't know you made one. Fanfiction has been having some... issues and I don't always get an email. (-_-) which is really sad, because I like saying thanks. So... THANKS!**

* * *

><p><strong>Cancer Chapter 2: Burning<strong>

Sabrina groaned as she buried her head in her hands. They'd been driving around town for three hours in search of options for the mirror. It had quickly been decided that just _asking _somebody to subject themselves to an eternity of servitude wasn't going to work; they would have to be tricked into it.

The problem was finding Everafters that would listen long enough to be deceived. The community had heard the news of Atticus being out there somewhere, along with a very powerful and angry mirror, and tensions had sky-rocketed. The Grimm's –Henry, Jake, Daphne, and Sabrina –along with Puck had been kicked out of every establishment before they could even begin to make their case.

The whole situation was irritating to everyone. Uncle Jake kept glancing at his watch as if he was worried they would miss a window of opportunity, Henry had been pushy and anxious, and the two had started bickering over how to drive. Puck had been strangely quiet, and even Daphne was starting to get a bit snippy. But most of all, Sabrina was tempted to pull out her hair. She had every intention of taking Mirror's place and, though she hadn't quite figured out how to do it yet, she didn't like the arduous task of being dragged hither and yon Ferryport Landing.

"Henry," groaned Jake, "there is no reason to stop for over seven seconds at a 'STOP' sign."

Henry scoffed, "You've obviously never taken defensive driving 101, _Jacob._"

"And I never plan to!"

"The cardinal rule of driving," Henry bit out through clenched teeth, "is that it's better to be safe than sorry. As you can see, I am being _safe_."

Jake rolled his eyes. "You're being saccharine!"

Sabrina could have sworn her father pouted for a moment before replying. "There is _nothing_ wrong with checking both ways." As if to prove his point he dramatically turned his head to his left and to his right.

"We don't have time for this. Hank, this isn't New York. There's _no one else on the road!_"

"You keep thinking like that and then one day there _will_ be someone on the road!"

"Oh goodness," Jake literally did a face palm.

"Girls!" Henry called to the backseat. "Who's right?"

Sabrina was hesitant with her answer. Choosing sides between her father and her Uncle was a dangerous task that all too often she was assigned. Trying to ignore them Sabrina gazed at the slowly passing grey and drear city as the wind gathered things up in a swirling mass and deposited them in other places.

Daphne, in all her well meaning, smiled shyly. "I wouldn't take my chances, Uncle Jake. Dad's right."

"You would side with Dad," Sabrina muttered.

Daphne crossed her arms, "And who would _you_ side with?"

"Uncle Jake," Sabrina replied. She gave an apologetic look to her dad. "You've got to live a little."

Jake looked at her in the mirror and smiled. "Thank you." He shot a smug look towards her father who rolled his eyes.

"That's why I'm never letting you drive, Sabrina," he commented with a wink. She decided to let that empty threat roll off her as Jake made another remark on his brother's driving.

As conversation turned, yet again, to the rules of the road Sabrina gratefully tuned them out. Puck caught her attention as he fidgeted in his seat. Being decked out in a new hoodie, of course still green, and new pants, that he'd somehow already been able to partially destroy, he was acting different. He hadn't been as forthcoming with insults or as quick on his feet and, while that might've been a huge relief to Sabrina, she was getting a bit worried about him. Ever since the freefall in the woods he'd been jumpy. She didn't like that.

"What's with you?" She prodded quietly so as not to gain Daphne's attention.

He stuck out his tongue in her general direction, but otherwise didn't pay her the time of day. Persistent as ever she ignored the childish remark.

"Seriously, you've been acting strange," she nudged him with her shoulder.

He winced away from her and rubbed his arm. "None of your beeswax."

His reaction stunned her. "Does your arm still hurt?" She asked.

He didn't reply and slightly angled himself away from her.

She rolled her eyes, "Let me see it." Sabrina's hands reached to lift up the sleeve.

It was almost so quick that she didn't follow as Puck's hand grasped hers before she could expose his arm. His grip was firm on her wrist and she was forced to meet his green eyes as he stared at her.

"Don't," was all he said. Puck wasn't threatening, or even slightly intimidating, but there was something in his demeanor that made Sabrina think twice about retaliating harshly. She slowly drew her hand away.

Daphne, who had seen the whole thing, raised an eyebrow as if to say _'I told you he was acting weird.'_

Sabrina was starting to agree.

"We're here!" Henry called out. Uncle Jake breathed out an over-exaggerated, "Finally."

Sabrina tore her attention away from Puck and looked out the car window. "And… where is '_here'_ exactly?"

"It's the new jail the town built," Jake answered her as he got out of the car. "Our next candidate is in there." He nodded towards the dark grey building.

"That's our great strategy?" Puck asked no one in particular. "We're going to ask someone, an Everafter who's already trapped in Ferryport, who was put in jail, another prison, to willingly sell us their soul and be put in jail _again_?"

"I suppose you have a better idea?" Henry asked with his arms crossed. Puck didn't reply.

"Who are we meeting here?" Daphne asked as she got out of the car with her sister.

"Sebastian Hartman," Jake replied. He walked up the stairs and held open the door for everyone to enter.

Sabrina's brow furrowed. "Okay, I don't know much," at which Puck openly laughed, "but I've never heard of Sebastian Hartman."

"He's a strange one," Henry explained as he led them through the doorway, "Of a not-so-well known story: _The King's Son Who Feared Nothing_. He's always taking daring challenges by random people, most of which don't end up very well for him. This time he was on a job to…" Henry seemed to blush, "Let's just say he's taken up the occupation of being a bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter?" Daphne frowned and turned to her sister for an explanation.

Sabrina sent an wary look to her father and uncle. "It means that people can hire him to find and… sometimes kill other people." They were about to confront a murderer?

Daphne's brown eyes widened, "Then… should we even be here? Is it smart to ask someone so… evil to help us?" Quite honestly, Sabrina was wondering the same thing. She crossed her arms and raised a brow at the two adults.

"I'm evil," Puck offered, "and you don't seem to have a problem imposing on me."

"There are bunnies more frightening than you," Sabrina dismissed him. He didn't even retort to that.

Jake sighed, "Beggars can't be choosers. After we get someone in the new mirror they might not have to stay long. We'll have more time once Relda's in the clear."

Sabrina felt a strange chill as the door shut behind them. The room was dark and long shadows seemed to cast over them as they walked through the corridors of abandoned cells.

"You say that like we're on a time crunch," Sabrina said to her Uncle.

"Well, I'd like to get my mother back as soon as possible."

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, "Me too, but when you said 'once Relda's in the clear' it made it sound like we had more to worry about than Mirror and Atticus. Is there something I should know?"

He ignored her and squinted at the numbers etched on the metal doors in succession. "He should be in cell thirteen." Sabrina frowned as he picked up the pace just a bit and moved away from her.

"Ah, here we are." He pulled out a ring of keys from one of the infinite pockets in his jacket.

"Wait a minute," Daphne stopped him. "We're just going to unleash this guy? What if he's dangerous? I mean, he is in _prison_ after all."

"It'll be fine," Jake reassured her as he tried to pick out the right key to unlock the cell. They watched with faint amusement as Jake struggled with the many objects on the ring that prevented him from finding the match to the lock. Uncle Jake cursed as the keys slipped out of his hands and onto the floor.

"You could just use a wand, Uncle Jake," Daphne advised already reaching for hers.

Henry gently admonished the idea. "He's trying not to rely on magic for everything."

"Yeah, seriously thinking of recalling that resolution," Jake grumbled as he had to retry all the previous keys he'd used.

Sabrina pushed past him as she removed some bobby pins from her hair. "Lucky for you, Uncle Jake, I know a whole different sort of magic. But if this guy turns out to be some crazy lunatic then I am _so_ telling mom on you." Jake shuddered.

Henry frowned as he watched her maneuver the pins through the keyhole, "What are you doing?" Sabrina choose not to reply as she concentrated on finding the pressure points.

Puck rolled his eyes, "She's picking the lock."

"Since when can she pick a lock?" Henry demanded. His question fell on deaf ears as a satisfying click resounded throughout the room and Sabrina stepped back from the door slipping her hairpins back in their place.

Uncle Jake raised an eyebrow, "Wow… it's getting easier and easier to break someone out of jail in this town, isn't it?" He pushed gently on the door and it eerily creaked open to reveal the cell.

Sabrina peered inside with a gentle hand holding her sister back. A man was half hidden in the shadows of his prison; his head snapped up as if to look at them. His brown hair was long, tangled, and blood-knotted and a beard had grown on his face. Still that didn't mar the obvious beauty his features had once held. In fact, he would have been swooningly attractive if there weren't one conspicuous flaw. Where eyes should have been was a long and infuriated gash that turned the remaining eye milk-white with blindness.

Daphne moved past her sister and followed her gaze to the man. With boldness none of them felt the little girl asked, "Mr. Hartman?"

"Don't call me that, child." Sebastian's voice seemed tired and weighed down, his posture one of defeat. "I have no ties to any name now."

"What… what do you mean?" Daphne asked tentatively stepping even closer.

The man's sightless eyes darkened. "Dead men have no title, they are only called 'dead'." The thickens of his voice and the tension that lined through the muscles in his neck and shoulders made Sabrina's stomach drop. A small squeak escaped her before she could catch it and Sebastian looked up at her with the quickness of a cat. Sabrina shuddered back a step from the scrutiny in his gaze; if he couldn't see her why was he staring so intently into her eyes?

"Sebastian Hartman," Henry spoke, obviously missing the aura of the room, "I'm Henry Grimm and this is my brother Jacob. We're descendants of the Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm that you might have known a while back." A well mannered hand reached out towards the man in the open cell. When the man made no move to accept the hand Henry withdrew it. He was blind, after all, and perhaps didn't realize the effort at cordiality Henry had made. The unnerving thing was that Sebastian's milky eyes never left Sabrina's face.

Jake, a bit more perceptive of his surroundings, spoke with a hand in one of the many pockets of his coat. "We need to ask something of you." Again, no response from the man.

"I guess I should start at the beginning. Have you heard of the Scarlet Hand?" Nothing.

"They're a group of Everafters that are hell-bent on getting out of Ferryport Landing and their master is the Magic Mirror from Snow White. Do you know of it?" Sighing, Jake gave up on asking questions and explained the situation with the mirror (twisting the phrases he spoke with his usual finesse in the hopes to trick him), and their desperate need for a guardian but Sebastian didn't pay him any attention. When Jake had finished speaking, Sebastian moved to his feet.

"My, my…" the man whispered in wonder. "What do we have here?" His steps were shaky but deliberate as he walked towards Sabrina, an old and scared hand reaching out to touch her. Sabrina took fleeting steps away from him until she realized her back was up against the cool, dark prison wall. Jake pulled something small and dark out of his pocket and closed his hand over it, moving Daphne behind him as Henry pulled out his own source of magic and prepared to direct it to the threat in the room.

Puck took a step out in front of her, his hand hovering by the wooden sword at his waist and creating a good space between her and him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The man's sightless gaze immediately flicked from Sabrina to Puck. In a flash, Hartman swung his hand towards the boy's face and Puck dodged just in time for it to pass over his head and into the wall. The sheer shaking force of the advancement left a crack in the wall, and the fairy on his back, quickly reaching for the ever-present flute in his pocket. He brought the wooden mouth piece up to his lips and was just about to blow when Sabrina stopped him.

"No, Puck! Wait." She spoke the words in a frantic and quivering voice, the presence of the strange man in front of her putting her nerves on edge. Still, there was something about him…

Puck's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, '_wait'_?"

"I mean…" Sabrina's voice trailed off, her eyes trained on Sebastian. What _did_ she mean? The man's face was red, with exertion or with emotion she couldn't tell, his fists were clenched so that his knuckles turned white, and his breathing was labored and quick. He was probably dangerous, and definitely crazy, so there was no good reason for her to hesitate justifying hurting him. And yet, here she was, looking into his scarred eyes and feeling something more than just fear. A familiarity, a calm, that came with assurance. This man wouldn't hurt them.

Sebastian's laugh was dark and heavy as it rumbled through the empty jail cells and off the walls. "It appears I may have some life left in me after all. But, what are you doing here? Child, can you not see what lay ahead? Your heart will be your death, your mind will be your murderer and still you chase after false hope. Daughter of Destiny, you are quite a sight to behold!"

"Strange," Puck growled, pulling himself off of the floor, "I could've sworn you were blind."

The man's laugh only grew louder, "And you! Your powers are draining away from you, boy. Still, here you are, trying to save a woman from death when you face the same fate!" The laugh faded into a smile as Sebastian seated himself down again.

Puck drew his wooden sword and swiped it under the prisoner's chin, allowing it to point sharply on his throat. "You don't know what your talking about."

"Oh? Come now, you must at least find it ironic." Sebastian leaned back a bit, his arms crossing in amusement.

Puck snarled. "I should run you through."

"You and I both know you haven't got it in you! Not anymore." Sebastian's voice took on a different tone as he recited:

"_Cave annulo ignis, ardet animus._

_Cave annulo ignis, aut tu solvere moderamine._

_Cave anulum ignis, innocuumque videtur et tamen._

_Cave annulo ignis, vos ad mortem."_

He finished the poem with a satisfied smirk. "The clock is ticking, I'm afraid."

The lyric was strange; the way it rolled off of Sebastian's tongue gave it an ancient feel as though before anything else had been those words. Sabrina stole a look at her father, who was the most learned of things like this, but he didn't seem to know. Henry's brows were furrowed, his teeth biting his lower lip in thought as he racked his brain for the meaning of the poem.

Puck's eyes were wide as his hand went slack and the sword clattered to the ground. He looked at the man with terror and bolted from the room, his coordination failing and causing him to slide into the door as he ran out of the building.

Sabrina quickly picked up the sword as she threw a wary gaze to the man in front of her. Puck's sword was like his lifeline and he'd just let it fall to the ground and left it there. She gripped the handle tightly, not knowing what to make of it.

"Look, we didn't ask for all this," she said, pointing the sword to Sebastian. Whatever enchantment you're saying, whatever you're smoking, whatever rock you crawled out from under –I don't care. All I want is a 'yes' or a 'no'. Will you help me get my grandmother back or won't you?"

Sebastian laughed, and clapped his hands, "Yes, that's more like it. Perhaps she _was_ right about you." His chuckle gave her the chills.

"Daphne, Sabrina," Henry said, "Why don't we get going. I think we're done here." Sabrina nodded, not putting the sword down yet and not taking her eyes of Sebastian. The shadows that cast over his face and his chilling smile made her shiver.

"You should be afraid Daughter of Destiny," Sebastian nodded. "But not of me. My fate has been decided, but yours is still in progress."

Sabrina wanted to ask why he kept calling her that. She wanted to demand he explain himself and drop the limericks and beating around the bush. She wanted to know what he meant by the things he told Puck.

Henry put a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her arm down until the sword was at her waist. "C'mon." Her father led her out of the jail with Daphne on their heels and Jake locking the man back up.

"Sabrina," Henry told her quietly, "Don't be bothered by what he said. For years there've been rumors circling that he's a little off his nut. I guess they were true."

Sabrina let out a bitter laugh that, somehow, helped alleviate the knot in her stomach that had formed the moment they walked into the jail. "Maybe you should do a background check on the person we're going to have live in our house."

"We did," Henry said giving her a sad smile. "Now we're desperate. Not many options left, and not much time either."

"Time? That's the second time someone's mentioned it. You mean, the time before Mirror finds out how to escape Ferryport Landing?"

Henry chewed on his lip and made sure Daphne was a good distance away before he spoke. "… We decided that you shouldn't know, there's no need to get you worried if the end result is inevitable, but I think you can handle it. There's-"

"-Hank," Jake interrupted with a set jaw. "Don't say something you'll regret. Remember, we've talked about this."

The two men had a type of stare-off; a silent conversation passed between the brothers and, for a few moments, Sabrina's eyes shot back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. It ended with Henry sighing and walking ahead out of the building and to the car.

"What don't you want me to know Uncle Jake?" Sabrina asked, her eyes narrow.

Jake shook his head, "I'm not the bad guy here, 'Brina. There are just some things…" He let his voice taper off and the conversation ended there.

~Sisters Grimm~

When the family made it outside Puck was leaning on the car his chest rising and falling quickly as if he'd just ran a marathon, and his forehead was gleaming with sweat. At the site of them coming down the steps he shook his head and quickly composed himself with his usual face of arrogance. He quickly sidestepped Sabrina's questioning gaze and got into the car. Sabrina climbed in after him, and then Daphne next to her. Her sister looked just as confused as she was.

Daphne frowned and nodded to the jail in a silent question. _What just happened?_

Sabrina shrugged in reply.

The little girl pointed to Puck. _Do you know what's wrong with him?_

Sabrina shook her head. Jake and Henry climbed into the car and started it up, the engine kicking and roaring like always.

Daphne gave her the look. _Well, find out!_

Sabrina held up her hand in mock surrender and turned to the boy next to her. "Puck?" she asked tentatively."Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes.

She shook her head. "No you aren't."

"If you were going to tell me the answer to your question, I wonder why you bothered to ask it?"

"Puck, stop being an idiot and tell me."

He was hesitant. "It's just…" Puck's eyes darted around, "that guy was really full of it, huh?"

Sabrina forced a smile she didn't feel. "Not unlike someone I know."

He looked at her for a moment, and then broke a ghost of a smile of his own.

"What he said…" she prodded gently, "About your powers and the clock and then that creepy séance thing…"

"He was just blowing hot air," Puck dismissed looking down at the ground.

"That doesn't explain why it had you so freaked out."

Puck met her eyes, "I… He acted like he knew me." She opened her mouth to respond but he didn't stop. "Not just like he knew _me_, but like he knew what would I would do next… what would happen to me if…"

"If what?" Puck now had her attention. His eyes were bemused, clouded with though, and lips had lost their usual cocky smirk. He absentmindedly rubbed at his leg.

"Did you hurt that in the fall too?" Sabrina asked him. She knew better than to lift up the pants leg but that didn't stop her from reaching out towards it.

Puck jerked back. "No. No, I'm fine." He sighed, stretched out as far as he could in the cramped car, and then smirked at her –his eyes returning back to the way she'd always known them to be. "Jeez Grimm, if I keep finding your nose in my business I might have to call for a restraining order."

Sabrina shook her head, "You dropped this." She held out the sword. He stared at it for a moment, then at her, and took it from her. He nodded his thanks and then turned to look out of the window. Sabrina did the same on Daphne's side.

Things weren't making sense… weren't adding up. Her father had written off Sebastian as just another crazy Everafter, but he seemed… different. She'd encountered plenty of whack-jobs, and while his people skills might not have been the best, Sebastian was definitely not a lunatic. He was smarter than that, wiser… like Puck said, he seemed to have an infinite amount of wisdom on them.

Then there were the secrets that the adults were keeping. What was so bad that they didn't want to tell her? Was it about Granny Relda? And how were they supposed to find someone to take the place of Mirror in a town that hated them? Well, to that she had the answer. She would do it; she had to. Lastly, there was Puck. He was acting so strange… what was going on?

~Sisters Grimm~

Sebastian wasn't the last candidate they had spoken to that day, but the results were the same: They were still without a guardian. With an unproductive day weighing them down, the quintet of fairytale investigators trudged into the house shoulders slumped and patience frayed.

Henry gave a gentle kiss to his wife and they talked in hushed voices for most of the night, Jake scratched his unshaven face as he went to his temporary room, Daphne curled up with Elvis and a book while she observed everyone carefully with a thoughtful frown, and Puck slipped upstairs to do whatever it was he did up in his room.

Sabrina grabbed a pen and her family journal; she used it more as a brainstorming place rather than a chronicle. What Sebastian had said was still ringing in her ears and she needed to think it out. She quickly scribbled out the little bit she remembered:

_Puck's powers are failing?_

_Why did he call me the Daughter of Destiny?_

"Cave annulo ignis"_… what does that mean?_

_The clock is ticking. Are we running out of time to save Granny Relda?_

Sabrina ran a hand through her hair. Thinking about it, there was a good chance that Sebastian was truly crazy and all of this meant nothing but that didn't stop her gaze from wandering up the stairs where Puck was. If there was something wrong with him she needed to figure it out, and fast.

That wasn't the only thing running through her mind, though. Their misfortune today had only cemented her drive to take the place of Mirror, but she knew that her family would never let her do that. She needed a way to talk to Bunny _alone_. Going behind her family's back wasn't something she was happy to do, especially not after all that had already happened, but Granny was an essential part of the family. Things wouldn't function without her for very long. On the other hand, Sabrina seemed to prove herself more and more of a burden than anything else.

She shook her head, forcing herself to push away her own insecurities. This wasn't about her. This was about finally doing something _right_ for once. Doing something selfless. She buried herself in her journal as she planned a way to sneak out of the house and find Bunny.

~Sisters Grimm~

Puck howled as the pain in his leg increased. Literally, he howled. Somewhere in the process of digging a new bunker for the obstacle course him and his chimpanzees were setting up he'd managed to turn himself into a wolf. He wasn't quite sure when it had happened or what had brought it on, but he did know that he was having a difficult time changing back into a boy. Seven attempts so far had brought him to a cat, a horse, an elephant, a seal, a ram, a snake, and a walrus. At the moment it seemed like his body was content with being a wolf, and so Puck endured it. The only real problem was that he was pretty sure he had fleas.

He couldn't get a good look at his leg but he would've bet his wooden sword that the circles had become even more red and swollen. The muscles of his leg were taut and twitching and he was forced to lay awkwardly on his trampoline with his head in his paws. The words of that man from earlier that day were still haunting him and he couldn't get it out of his head. He knew that poem, heck he'd memorized it as a child, but he always had assumed that it was just another way to curb the desires young fairy's had for adventure. He'd never thought it was real. But if it was…

The throbbing pain in his leg changed to a relentless sharp and stabbing one. As the tingle of magic flashed through his body he cried out, a boy again, and grasped at his leg. When he got up the nerve to look it was far worse than he had imagined.

* * *

><p><strong>Henry said it earlier, but Sebastian is from "The King's Son who Feared Nothing." His name isn't mentioned in the original story, so Sebastian was mine. Other than that, his character belongs to the public, and the rest of these characters belong to Michael Buckley and Amulet Books. :D<strong>

**THANKS! PEACE! God Bless!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I've been a bit detained with this story. I read the ninth book, I know how Michael Buckley ended things, and now I'm trying to contend with how different my version is going to be. I hope you guys will stick with me in this, I'm kind of excited to write it. Do you think I should add some of the ninth book in there, or go on with the plot I've already made? 0.0 I also didn't take into account that the house was destroyed in previous chapters (my bad!), so it isn't going to be.**

**All characters belong to Michael Buckley and Amulet Books.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Sacrificing <strong>

Sabrina awoke gasping and clawing at her throat. Another haunted nightmare about her grandmother had slipped its way into her mind and the leftover terror had her in a haze with cold sweat making her clothes stick to her body. She gripped the dark green bed sheets tightly as she tried to reign in her fright.

A slight breeze outside seemed to play games with the sun; the light that shown through the baby-blue curtains shimmered and waved. With a look to her left at her little sister, sprawled and snoring loudly beside her, Sabrina slipped on her bedroom shoes promising herself that she would stay positive.

Today the family was going to go visit Bunny for more information. Today was the day that Sabrina would openly suggest that she take the place of Mirror. She knew the idea would be shot down from the very beginning but, if the Queen knew what her plan was, maybe there was a chance she would help her regardless.

With the aura of sleep still laying on her eyelids, and the paranoia one feels after a nightmare following close behind her, Sabrina moved from the bed and out of the small room. The house was quiet, as everyone was still sleeping, and she made it a point to be silent as well. The worst thing in the world had to be when Elvis, the family dog, didn't get his beauty sleep. She yawned, stretched and made her way to take a shower, scratching at her bed-hair.

Then she heard a sound. It was almost like a cry, but it felt so distant that she couldn't be sure it ever happened. She turned towards the noise slowly and narrowed her eyes. It had come from Puck's room.

She almost immediately ignored it (after all, the only thing that would get her into his room would be the end of the world, and even then she'd have to think long and hard about it), but the sound pierced something in her stomach and she couldn't continue to the bathroom. Maybe the sound didn't mean anything, maybe it did. Could she really ignore something that echoed pain?

Intrigue winning, Sabrina quickly made her decision; she opened the door and stepped inside.

The moment she walked in the massive space she noticed the wind. In the past the weather was always perfect in Puck's enchanted room and the heavy breeze that made her wrap her arms around herself was ominous. Something was up. Finding herself more curious than intimidated she continued through the room -watching her foot falls for any presents one of Puck's chimpanzees might have left. It was strange, but the grass was yellow, the trees seemed to be wilting, and the sky above was cloudy. Feeling more overwrought about what was going on, Sabrina dropped her sneaking and ran into the clearing where she knew Puck's trampoline was set up.

When she found him he was faced away from her, his back hunched over with wings hanging limply to the ground, and his legs clutched to his chest.

"Puck?" She called out to him keeping a distance. He didn't reply. There was no evidence that he even heard her.

"Puck," she said again stepping a bit closer to him, "What's going on? I thought I heard…" She put her hand on his shoulder and his head snapped up at her, startled. She couldn't help but pull back as she saw him. His eyes were rimmed with red and his face was pale. Slight tremors shocked through his body, and when she tentatively touched his hand it was ice cold.

"Oh my gosh," Sabrina murmured.

Puck turned away from her, obviously as rattled as she was, "Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Grimm?"

"You look… horrible," Sabrina couldn't help but say it. He looked a lot like before, when the Jaberwock had torn off his wings.

He gave her a strange look and a halfhearted smile. "Thanks for that. You have a funny way of complimenting people."

On caring instinct Sabrina pressed her hand up to his forehead, not surprised to find it warmer than it should have been. "Puck, you're sick," she said scanning him over.

"It's your face," he said involuntarily leaning into the warmth of her hand as she pressed it on his head, the chills of fever distorting his senses. "It makes me feel like puking."

"C'mon," she said grasping his chilled fingers and leading him to the door, "Mom will know what to do. Or Uncle Jake. Maybe even my dad can-"

Puck stifled a cry as he put pressure on his leg that cut her short. She gave him a questioning look as he pulled his hand from hers.

"I don't need any help," he muttered. "It's my job to help _you_, remember?"

"Does your leg _still_ hurt?" Even her own aches and pains from the fall had already ebbed away, and Puck was an Everafter. He should've been a hundred percent by now.

Puck shrugged, "If it did I wouldn't know. I laugh at the face of pain." He coughed out a dry laugh and his jaw clenched as he put more pressure on his leg, wincing as he thoroughly disproved his point.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes Sabrina sat him down on the ground and she pused up his pants leg carefully revealing his leg. It was almost turgid, red and swollen with its veins shining in blue. Three dark red circles burned like a branding and around them a ring of black, and it pulsated in a painfully revolting way and definitely emanated magic. What was this?

She stared at the leg for a long time. It didn't seem real, or perhaps she just didn't want to believe it was real. She wanted to say he was playing a prank on her, but the thought that he might've been walking on his leg while it was that bad made her cringe.

She blinked in shock, "What happened to you?" When Puck didn't meet her eyes she continued to push, "Does this have anything to do with yesterday? What that man said?" Still he didn't respond to her question and, instead, gently pulled down his pants leg.

"I don't want anybody to know about this, okay?" He said quietly. "It's nothing."

Sabrina placed a hand on her hip, "This isn't 'nothing', Puck. I mean, I don't know what this is but I _do_ know it's bad. You need help!"

Puck shook his head, "Don't be stupid. I can take care of myself." He paused and rubbed his neck. "Now help me up?"

Sabrina narrowed her eyes and started to pace around the room.

"Okay, so we'll talk to Bunny. I'm not crazy about her, but she's pretty powerful. She can tell us if anything's wrong, right?"

Puck rolled his eyes, "No. We don't need to talk to anyone, especially not that psychotic witch." He stood up on his own, leaning on the trampoline for support.

Sabrina tried to protest, "Puck-"

"I said _no_, Sabrina."

The sudden use of her first name seemed to startle them both. Puck shook his head slightly and quickly said, "Now get out of my room."

Sabrina bit her lip. Puck was sick; if Sebastian had been even remotely correct, then this was serious. She was going to talk to somebody. Puck wasn't going to get ill on her watch. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I mean, if you need anything…"

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering to be my personal servant?" He waved her away, "I don't need any help."

With a hesitant nod she slipped out of his room, leaning on the door once it was closed. That leg… it looked absolutely horrifying. It was painful to see, and she couldn't even imagine what it must've felt like. Puck may have been too stubborn for his own good, but she knew that he was in a lot of pain. She chewed on her lip, debating whether or not to go back in and demand that he tell someone. When Jake's bed-headed form appeared out of the room a few doors down she decided against it.

Jake yawned. His eyes were red and slightly puffy as if he'd been crying and the stubble on his chin was quickly growing into a beard, signs that Briar wasn't far from his mind. "What are you doin' up? It's six in the morning."

"Nightmare," Sabrina shrugged. The previous conversation she had with her Uncle was still fresh in her mind. He was hiding something from her, something important.

"About Granny Relda?"

Sabrina nodded slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his blue eyes filled with sympathy.

For some reason that irritated her. Sympathy? She didn't need his pity, and she didn't need him to tell her what he'd been hiding. She could figure it out on her own. She almost glared at him. "Not really. Not with you, anyway."

She pushed past her stunned Uncle and went to the bathroom to start her day.

~Sisters Grimm~

"Jacob," the Queen exclaimed as she threw open the heavy door to her castle-like house. A wide smile, that seemed misplaced on her usually stoic face, was plastered across her red lips and her dark eyelashes almost seemed to bat. Apparently, all the time Jake and Ms. Bunny Lancaster spent together in the last few days had made her develop a crush on Sabrina's Uncle. "How good it is to see you!"

It wasn't often that Bunny showed emotion and, quite honestly, it was starting to freak Sabrina out. She and her sister cringed as Bunny planted a kiss on their Uncle's cheek.

Jake blushed, "I'm here about the mirror, Bunny," he said promptly stepping away from her. The queen's bright demeanor quickly dimmed as she straightened out her hair.

"Of course that's what your here for," she murmured. "And I see you've brought your family." She seemed to examine Sabrina and Daphne with disdain. "You know I don't like children. The last time I was with one it tried to kill me."

"I know," Jake replied dryly. "Can we come in?"

The Wicked Queen rolled her eyes, "I don't know, Jacob. Can you?" Without waiting for a reply she moved away from the door and into the dark shadows of her house; the dress she was wearing had a long train that gave the illusion of a snake retreating into its hole as her fluid motions swayed her clothes back and forth. With a heavy sigh Jake ushered the girls, Henry, and Puck inside the building and, with a wistful look outside, he followed and shut the door. Clearing his throat, Jake pulled Henry aside for a moment and a quiet conversation began between the two men.

Sabrina clutched at her sister's hand as they walked through the looming corridors after Bunny. The walls were lined with once beautiful things: shriveled roses in a broken vase, a changing picture of a beautiful young woman's transformation into a hideous old hag, a painting of a forest destroyed by fire… Sabrina shivered.

The Queen led them to a dark wooded door near the back of the house. It was large and menacing with dark metal snaking up into it and a draft pulling from the other side; Daphne gave a gasp and squeezed her hand tighter as Sabrina took a wary step away from the Queen. Wherever that door led, neither of them were jumping at the opportunity to go through it.

With a glance at the expression on their faces the Queen gave a cold smile, "I'm not going to eat you, children. The mirrors are made in my basement and that's where I'm taking you."

Puck gave an unconvinced laugh, "Lot's of crazy things happen in people's basements, lady." Bunny's eyes where amused as she noticed Puck for the first time.

"And what do we have here?" She looked him up and down and a well groomed eyebrow shot up. "Oh… isn't this an interesting turn of events. I think I might have something for you, little fairy."

Puck narrowed his eyes, "I don't take things from evil Queens. You know, stranger danger. Sorry."

"Perhaps later you'll rethink that," the Queen said with a curt laugh as she unlocked the door to the basement. Daphne shot Sabrina a questioning look but it was lost as Sabrina was looking at Puck in a similar fashion.

He had managed to pull off the façade of normal. She hadn't a clue how but he didn't appear sick, and the limp in his leg was barely noticeable even when you w_ere _looking for it. He looked perfectly fine. Yet the image of his deformed leg was burned into her memory and there was no denying that he was still in serious pain. She searched his eyes, for what exactly she didn't know, but he just gave her a quiet smile and then stuck out his tongue.

Jake and Henry, who had been discussing something quietly in the background until then, caught up with the group and they all followed Bunny down the winding staircase that led to her dank cellar.

"Have you noticed," Daphne whispered to her sister, "That mom, dad, and Uncle Jake have been acting kind of strange lately? Lots of quiet conversations?" Of course the older girl had noticed, and she knew for a fact they were hiding something important. Still, no matter how bitter she was towards her Uncle, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it, she had more problems than just feeling out of the loop.

Daphne continued, "I don't know why, but it's starting to freak me out. Whatever giblets they don't want us to hear must be pretty important if they're going through all that trouble to hide it." Sabrina shrugged. Daphne had a point, but right now figuring out what her parents were up to wasn't high on her "To Do" list. And yet, Daphne was a great investigator, no mater how young she was. If anyone could figure out the real deal, it would be her.

"I think," Sabrina whispered back, "That you should do a bit of digging." She gave her sister a smile and her hand a reassuring squeeze as the group came to the end of the winding staircase.

Bunny paused at the archway making them hesitate to step forward. She cleared her throat and sent a glare towards Sabrina and Daphne, "Don't break anything. As a matter of fact, don't _touch _anything. Don't even _think_ about touching anything. It would be better if you didn't breathe on anything either."

Puck protested, "I'm the one you should be worried about! I am the Trickster King, after all. Master of-"

Bunny pinched his cheek. "Aren't you adorable? Like a sick puppy, you poor thing." She laughed, cackled really, and continued through the archway.

"Well," Henry snickered, "it looks like she's taken a shine to you." He raised an eyebrow at his brother, "You might have some competition _Jacob_." Puck blanched and Jake grimaced as they stared at Henry in horror. The older man just laughed, something Sabrina hadn't seen him do for far too long, and then motioned for them to follow her. Sabrina stepped through first.

The room was bright and gleaming with gilded mirrors and beautiful frames. Their centers shone with that slight tinge of magic; the stone floor was polished and the walls were covered with mirrors or shelves stacked with books and scented candles lined the room. It smelled like a flower garden in the spring; beautiful, but the beauty was almost overbearing.

There was a lot of magic in the room and it was slightly disorienting to Sabrina. She hadn't been around this much magic ever since the Hall of Wonders was raided and most of their items were stolen and her head went reeling when she bumped into a bookshelf full of spells. She shook her head as if to clear it; there were far more important things for her to worry about than her addiction.

The Queen crossed her arms and looked expectantly at Uncle Jake. "You'd better have a good reason for disrupting my day, Jacob. I haven't many left, you know."

"That's kind of why we're here Bunny," Jake said rubbing the back of his neck. "We aren't having the best luck finding a replacement."

"Not my problem," Bunny said with a flick of her hair. "Next?"

Henry narrowed his eyes, "Actually, it _is_ your problem. Remember, you're as deep into this as the rest of us."

"And what if I am?" Bunny started to fiddle with the sleeves of her dress. "I haven't a problem with my fate. _You_ are the ones who desperately deny the inevitable."

Daphne shook her head, "Hold up! Wait a minute! You guys are making _no_ sense at all. What's inevitable –what does that even mean? What fate? What do you mean you don't have many days left?"

Bunny raised an eyebrow at the little girl, "You're breathing. I thought I specifically told you not to do that."

"Don't worry about it," Henry said to the little girl with a gentle hand on his daughter's back. "Just grown-up stuff." Daphne's fist tightened but, to Sabrina's surprise, she held her tongue.

"Is there any way," Jake continued on as if nothing had happened, "you can help us find a willing replacement? For your sake as much as ours?"

Bunny paused. "Are you that concerned about me?"

Henry sniffed, "Not really."

"Hank," Jake gently admonished him. Then to Bunny he said, "You're one of the most powerful witches here. It wouldn't be wise to lose you, nor your friendship."

"I have a sense of loyalty to the Grimms," Bunny said with a shake of her head. "That doesn't make us friends. Still, I can give you a viable option."

The Queen's eyes met Sabrina's and suddenly the girl could feel the weight of every one's gaze on her. "That girl," Bunny's manicured nail pointed sharply at her, "is the only person at this point and time who's not willing, but eager. I suggest you let her do it, too."

Henry narrowed his eyes, "Leave my daughter out of this. You know we'll do what it takes if it comes to that, so don't play games with us. I don't care who you are, you will not-!"

"Actually dad, I _have_ been thinking about it," Sabrina caused her father to stop in his tirade. From where she was in the room she could see everyone, if not their reflection, and they all looked ready to protest. Before they could speak she continued, "It makes sense, right? I mean, we would get Granny back, defeat Mirror, and then maybe with Mirror's knowledge I can help you guys find a way to defeat Atticus. Plus, there isn't a chance of the new guardian going postal if you pick me to do it." Bunny flashed a chilling smile as she sat herself down in an ornate chair.

"Sabrina," Daphne's voice squeaked. "That… that's crazy! You can't be serious… right?

Sabrina nodded at her sister. "We need to get Granny back, and we need to defeat mirror."

"Yeah," Puck spoke up, "but there's no 'you' in 'we'. There is a 'me' though… you know, if you flip the 'w' upside down. If one of us is going to become the guardian it should definitely be me."

"No!" Bunny said, eyes wild as her hands slammed down on the desk. She took a shaky deep breath to compose herself. "Fairy, that is not wise for you –and don't pretend to have no idea what I'm talking about. Becoming the guardian could end you!"

Jake's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

"He knows what I speak of. He knows the clock is ticking," Bunny said. Sabrina shot a glance towards Puck. His eyes were wide, and he looked at the queen as if he were trying to figure out how much she knew, how much she would tell.

Puck's teeth gritted. "Fine. Then you'd better help us find someone."

Bunny shook her head, shoulders relaxing. "There is no one else, there is only you all. If you want to save your grandmother then you'd better choose between yourselves."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something, aren't you? There's something you're planning, something you don't want us to know. What are you up to, Witch?"

Bunny's eyes darkened. "Don't meddle into things that don't concern you."

Jake nodded, and turned his back on the Queen, looking at his family. "Let's go. This was a dumb idea, she's just trying to spin us around in circles. We can't trust a word she says, I should've realized that." He shot a disdainful look at Bunny. "Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your last days, Witch, and if I were you I'd start praying that your death is quick and painless."

"Don't be so quick to condemn me, Jacob," Bunny smiled. "I'm not dead yet." Her eyes snapped to Puck as they gleamed with the look a predator has for it's prey.

~Sisters Grimm~

"What if she's right, Uncle Jake?" Daphne asked. The conversation in the car was tense, and Sabrina was right in the middle of it. "What if there _isn't_ anyone else who can do it?"

"And what did she mean by saying that she wasn't dead yet?" Sabrina added. "Is something going to happen to her?"

Henry bristled. "Yeah, if we don't stop Mirror in time…" he shook his head. "Puck, she said something to you, too. Is there something we should know?"

Puck scratched his head. "No, not really."

Jake frowned, "Then why have two people told you that the clock is ticking, and why have they both said that you'd know what they were talking about? If something's wrong then you can tell me, or Hank, or any of the adults."

Sabrina came to his defense, "Tell you? Why? So you can keep it a secret from us?"

"Let's not do this now, okay Sabrina?"

"Actually, I think it's high time we did this. You've been hiding things, Uncle Jake. We're in the middle of a war, that's not the best time to be keeping secrets from us. I don't care what it is, but I do know that I can't trust you."

Jake's sigh was weary. "Sabrina, you'll understand in time…"

"In time! Everyone keeps talking about time!" Daphne threw up her arms. "What does time have to do with anything?"

Jake and Henry looked at each other for a moment, a silent conversation passing between the two. Jake nodded and Henry answered Daphne. "Atticus and Mirror are getting more powerful as the days go by. When Mirror reaches his full potential… he'll be able to completely remove Granny Relda's spirit from her body. Then he and Atticus will be able to attack. And Atticus holds… a bit of a grudge against Bunny Lancaster. He'll kill her when he gets the chance."

Puck nodded. "Then we stop them before they get that far. So, how long until he's powerful enough?"

"Four days," Jake answered.

"Then someone seriously needs to become the guardian. You should let me do it!" Sabrina demanded.

"No, if anyone is going to do it, It'll be me."

Henry yelled, breaking up the argument, "You two are so eager to fall on your swords that you're forgetting the goal is to have none of us do it! We're supposed to be _finding_ a guardian, not volunteering."

"But Dad," Daphne said, "if we don't find someone, we'll lose Granny Relda, the war, our lives, and maybe even the world. If we don't do it, who will?"

Henry's eyes turned dark, his foot pressing down hard on the gas.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think! Input and feedback are always MORE than welcome. ^.^<strong>

**PEACE! iizninja! GOD BLESS!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well ya'll are just too kind :D I'm going along with the original idea I had, so thanks for the feedback! **

**So... I have another question. I've got, like, three or four other stories that I'm working on right now. I'm trying to decide if I should wait until I've completed them, or if I should just post them right now. Or if I should wait until this one is done. If I started posting more than one, I promise it wouldn't slow down my updating. I mean, I update pretty darn slow as it is and I'm going to write them anyways so... your call! I'm just wondering if it's a good idea or not.**

**Seriously though, thanks for reviewing you guys! You make me all happy and stuff. ^.^**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Choosing <strong>

Sabrina glanced at the alarm clock in her bedroom. It was one thirty in the morning, the perfect time to run.

After the family's visit to Bunny, things had been rigid. Uncle Jake had been tight-lipped, his shoulders tense and his blood-shot eyes ever-staring forward. Henry had glanced towards the back seat of the car on the way home constantly as if to make sure Sabrina hadn't played Houdini and disappeared. Daphne held a firm grip on Sabrina's hand for most of the day but wouldn't look her in the eye, and Puck… gosh, Sabrina didn't know what was going on in his head.

When she would look at him he would be lazily slouched in his seat like he was indifferent to the whole thing. But when her attention was elsewhere she could swear she saw him staring at her in the corner of her eye. That wasn't what made him so elusive; it was his expression. He seemed nervous and alert like he was waiting for something to happen. At first Sabrina had chalked it up to the problem with his leg but the more it happened the more she realized that it was the way he looked at _her_, not in general. She'd never seen anything else in his green eyes other than mischief. Now she saw… she didn't know what it was. Was it worry?

Still, none of that mattered. Whatever her family thought of her, whatever they expected her to do, Sabrina was on her own mission and she was determined to succeed. She would save her grandmother, she _had_ to.

Sneaking down the stairs in her black jeans and t-shirt (the perfect clothes for any stealth mission) she blindly searched through the dark shadows of the living room for the map she had written down that lead to Bunny's house. She was the Queen of Sneaks, she'd searched through dark places more times than she could count, but the Grimm house was littered with family journals, magical weapons, toys, and other trinkets that disoriented her senses. It was difficult, she kept knocking into things and slipping on the clutter of books that had ended up on the floor, but eventually she found it.

She folded the paper, slipped it into her pocket, and looked up the stairs to see if anyone had heard the noise she'd made. With a sigh of relief at the fact that no one had investigated the clamber, she headed towards the door but her foot slipped on one of Elvis' chew toys. She started to fall back, holding in a yelp, but all of a sudden two hands came up and caught her.

Sabrina looked up at Puck; his hair cast shadows over his eyes due to the small flashlight he had, but she could still see their green tint as he looked back at her. Embarrassed, she looked away and pushed off of him while she regained her footing and tried to control the blush that had rushed to her cheeks.

He waited for her to gather herself and then and put the light between them so they could see each other. An eyebrow raised and his shoulders sagged in some form of communication that Sabrina couldn't understand. He didn't say anything and neither did she, so they stared at one another warily, in awkward silence. One minute passed, and Sabrina found that making eye contact with the solid gaze of Puck was beginning to become harder and harder.

Finally she broke, "What are you doing up?"

He shrugged, "I could ask you the same question." He had a point and, quite frankly, she didn't want to tell him what she was up to.

Changing the subject she replied, "You should be in bed."

"So should you."

"Your leg needs to heal." She started to gently push him towards the stairs.

He stopped her, smirking, "If you're thinking about doing anything stupid then I'd better be there. Where are you going?"

Sabrina ran a hand through her hair. "If I tell you will you try and stop me?" Puck replied with a shake of his head. She sighed heavily. "I'm going to see Bunny and convince her to make me the new guardian -and maybe find out what's wrong with you, since you won't tell me and she seems to know everything."

There wasn't a witty comeback like Sabrina was expecting, nor did he insult her.

"Forget about me. I'm an Everafter, I'll be fine. But this guardian thing... are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her.

She nodded, "I have to, Puck."

"No you don't," he said moving to grip her hand tightly. "This isn't your responsibility, Grimm. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, especially if it means sacrificing yourself."

Startled at the sudden intensity in his voice, she shook him off, her blue eyes staring defiantly back at him. "I want to."

"Then," he gave the same defiance back to her, "I'm going with you."

She almost told him that he couldn't. She was tempted to just run our the door and forget about him, but she had a feeling he would follow her and wake up her entire family. Looking at him carefully, the set of his jaw, the stance of his legs, she knew she didn't have a choice.

"Fine." She pointed a finger at him, "But if you cause any trouble…"

He flashed her a smirk as the glint returned to his eyes. "I _am_ trouble." With Puck acting more stoic than he usually did, Sabrina actually appreciated his cockiness and couldn't help but quirk a little smile of her own.

The two slipped out of the house and followed the back roads to the Queen's mansion. Sabrina was praying that she could get what she wanted and, secretly, Puck was praying that she didn't.

~Sisters Grimm~

Sabrina rapped her knuckles on the old wooden door to Bunny's house. She pulled her arms tightly around herself as the wind started to pick up. So maybe a t-shirt wasn't the best idea.

It took a moment, but soon the two teens could hear shuffling behind the door. It swung open and the Queen stood before them. Her hair was down, which was different, and she had traded in her long dress for a more practical nightgown, but she still looked as perfect and put-together as ever. Her deep brown eyes gazed with disdain at the two.

"What?" She snapped, a finger going to rub her temple.

"I don't care what my family says," Sabrina told her. "I'm becoming the new guardian, if you'll help me."

Bunny let a fine eyebrow raise slightly. "Defiant," she appraised, "I might actually be able to tolerate you." She turned her gaze to Puck. "What about you, fairy? Can I help you with anything?"

Puck shook his head. "No, I'm just the babysitter." The Queen observed for a moment longer, then stepped back and allowed the two to enter.

The woman's movements were fluid but quick as she moved down the hall. Sabrina found herself practically jogging to keep up as she followed the Queen down the stairwell and into the large, gilded room.

"I don't think you understand the magnitude of what you're singing up for," Bunny said calmly seating herself behind her large desk.

"Yes, I do," Sabrina confirmed. "I'm willing to do anything to save Granny Relda and the rest of the world."

Bunny shook her head, "But to what extent?"

Sabrina slammed her hands on the desk, the thundering clap that resounded shaking the mirrors on the walls. "I'd sacrifice my life."

"No doubt," Bunny said calmly pushing her hair behind her ear. "But…" she leaned in closer, lowering her voice as a dark glint flashed in her eyes, "Would you sacrifice his?" She pointed to Puck.

Puck frowned, "What does my life have to do with anything?"

Bunny ignored him, her dark eyes boring into Sabrina. "That boy is going to die unless _you_ do something about it."

Sabrina blinked, startled by her words. "Die? Because of his leg?" Her throat tightened and she looked at Puck in panic. He seemed confused as she and shook his head.

"That's gotta be some kind of mistake. It's just a stupid bite," Puck said quietly. "I'm fine…"

"You and I both know that's a lie," Bunny snapped.

_"Cave annulo ignis, ardet animus._

Beware the ring of fire, for it burneth the soul

_Cave annulo ignis, aut tu solvere moderamine. _

Beware the ring of fire, or you'll lose all control

_Cave anulum ignis, innocuumque videtur et tamen. _

Beware the ring of fire, harmless it seems and yet,

_Cave annulo ignis, vos ad mortem._

Beware the ring of fire, it shall bring you to your death._"_

She looked accusingly at Sabrina. "So what do you do now? Do you save his life or your grandmother's?"

Sabrina stared at the boy next to her. She took in his disheveled blond hair, his deep green eyes, the way his arms slightly hunched when he shoved his hands in his pockets, the discrete wooden sword that was ever-hanging from his waist, the woods like smell he had… everything. And after finally coming to terms with the fact that they might be married in the future, and after accepting it with just a bit of anticipation, was she willing to loose him? It felt like Puck was always there, constantly saving her from evil. Could she save him? Was she prepared to watch him die? What about Granny Relda? What about Atticus and Mirror destroying the entire world? What was she supposed to do? How could she choose between the two?

"I… does it have to be me?" Sabrina squeaked. "Couldn't someone else save Puck?" Puck winced beside her, probably due to the detachment in her voice, and she added, "I don't want to choose between them."

"You're the only one. The two of you are connected and a link that strong can effect you both. If you become the guardian it'll only speed up the deterioration process. The longer he's around you, the longer he has to live," Bunny said with a cold smile playing on her lips. "Of course, if you take the responsibility of the guardian then you'll be an Everafter, not a human, and his type of energy wouldn't be compatible to your new type. On the other hand, if you don't save your grandmother, and Mirror gets what he wants, the whole world could very well end, especially with Atticus on his side. If the world is destroyed I don't see what purpose your little boyfriend will serve."

Sabrina felt winded as she stumbled back a bit from the woman shaking her head fiercely. "Is there a way to save both?"

"Possibly… if you saved the fairy first. Still, I can't guarantee you'll survive that endeavor."

"Survive?" Her eyebrows knitted, "What exactly do I have to do?"

"Do not let your decision be swayed by the difficulty of the task, for both will take their own toll. Instead, make a decision on how you feel and who's blood you'd prefer to have on your hands, who's death you'll be able to sleep with at night." The Queen spoke with conviction, almost wisdom, as if a previous trail she'd gone through provoked such curt words.

"How am I supposed to be able to decide?" Sabrina felt panic flutter in her stomach at the thought of her decisions and actions killing a member of her family.

Bunny shrugged, "Who do you love more? The fairy, or your grandmother?"

Sabrina closed her eyes tightly. Puck or Granny? Puck or Granny?

Puck seemed to sense her anguish. He spoke up for her. "She'll save her grandmother."

The girl's eyes flew open as she made her decision. "No! I'm saving you, Puck."

"Don't be stupid, Grimm," Puck turned to her. "The old lady's more important to you and to everyone else. If you don't save her it could start a war and not just with your family. The world could be destroyed!"

"I don't care," Sabrina bit back. "I'm not ready to lose you."

Puck grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly, his voice cracking in desperation. "I've lived for over four-thousand years, idiot. You don't need to save me!"

"And I've only lived for fourteen but I _want_ to save you."

Puck seemed ready to demur and his mouth opened slightly to sway her but she didn't back down. He, sensing that the battle was over, let his arms fall to his side. His eyes pleaded with her to reconsider but she'd already made up her mind.

She turned to the woman who's cat-like gaze flickered between the two of them. "So what do I have to do?" There was a slight pause, no longer than a heartbeat of hesitation from Bunny Lancaster, followed by a hard swallow and a heavy push of air from the Wicked Queen's chest. She nodded at them and stretched out a forced smile, scaly and grim, before letting it fall and standing from her seat.

Bunny moved to the bookshelf, her finger quickly scanning the titles, until her hand rested on a red and black book. She gave the spine a tight yank and the shelf slid to the side with a horrible grinding sound, revealing a dark and shadowy looking passageway lit by weak torches and haunted by odd smells. The Queen hooked her finger in the motion for them to follow her and then started through, leaving the two hesitant teenagers to catch up after they'd gotten over their fear.

~Sisters Grimm~

It was a strange gift that he had, the sense of premonition. It was one of the many things that was special about him.

Jake knew they were gone the moment he opened his eyes. It was a feeling, a yanking in his heart, that made him sit up straight midst fitful sleep. He stumbled out of the bed quickly, moving to the room of Sabrina and Daphne, and yanking open the door. Daphne was snoring loudly and Sabrina's side of the bed was bare, the sheets ruffled in her absence.

He cursed, running to Puck's room and opening the door. Thankful that no prank had spilled down on him, he stumbled through the dry grass and wilting trees and into the clearing. There was no fairy. He didn't need magic to know where they'd went, and he berated himself for not predicting Sabrina's stubbornness to lead to this.

He rubbed at his eyes, his shoulders heavy. "_I don't need this now, Sabrina."  
><em>

Veronica appeared next to him, her motherly instincts probably leading her there, and frowned. "Jake, is everything okay?"

"Sabrina and Puck are missing," he said, already moving towards the door of the enchanted room.

"Missing… as in someone's kidnapped them?"

"Hardly," Jake murmured. He stumbled down the stairs quickly, accidentally tredding on Elvis' tail and earning a startled yelp from the Great Dane, Veronica on his heels.

"You don't think they went to see that woman, do you?" Veronica asked, jogging to keep up with his purposeful stride.

"I hope not," he said no with conviction. "But I know Bunny well. She's not the best person, but she wouldn't hurt them unless they could give her something." He grabbed his coat and pulled it on over the clothes he'd worn to bed. "Tell the family and start a search party. If they're just out there roaming in the woods, the Hand might get to them."

Veronica's fist clenched. "Those kids… when will they learn?"

"They won't. Ever." He moved to leave when Veronica put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Be careful, Jake," she said with genuine concern. "Watch your back, and come home in one piece. Okay?"

He pecked his brother's wife on the cheek. "Don't worry about me, Ronnie. I'll be fine."

That was another thing special about Jacob Grimm. Even when he was lying through his teeth he could convince anyone, even himself, that it was the truth.

~Sisters Grimm~

The woman wasted no time descending into the labyrinth of dark tunnels, trick doors, and rat infested halls.

The air was musty and thick, a cold draft biting at Sabrina's heels as she jogged to keep up with the Wicked Queen. She tried to keep track of how they got in, just in case they needed to get out on their own later, but it was dizzying. A right here, a left there, a fork in the path, four rights that should have made a circle but, instead, brought them to a bridge they'd never passed before. She wasn't quite sure where they were going, but whatever the Queen was leading them to must have been pretty important for her to go through all the trouble of locking it up like so.

"This is crazy," Puck whispered to her, breathing labored from exertion and probably pain. "You don't even know where she's taking you." He was right. This _was_ crazy. She didn't even know if she _could_ save him, but if it was definite that he would die without her help then she had no choice.

Bunny's path gave way to a dead end. A square shaped figure was covered in cloth with un-lit candles lining the stone walls. The Queen gave the drape a hard yank and let it fall to the floor, revealing a plain, full-length mirror. It was unimpressive to say the least, and Sabrina blinked with confusion. Almost everything that the witch owned was over-extravagant and practically celestial, but this mirror was set in a simple wooden frame, its surface cloudy with age.

Bunny whispered the words: _"Erimentha, spun of gold, show me the book holding secrets of old."_ And then backed up quickly, almost stumbling away from her reflection. The mirror's surface rippled, and then a thick book appeared.

"This is the Acus," she explained. Her eyes started to shine as she looked at the book and her voice faltered for a moment before she continued. "It is my book of spells. Unfortunately, I caused a bit of turmoil with it and it was taken from me and hidden. The epitome of my carrier vanished in an instant." She snapped her fingers in emphasis and the book's image withered away. "In here is the cure for your friend. I need you to find it, and bring it to me before it's too late."

Sabrina's shoulders relaxed. That didn't sound too hard. "Alright," she nodded, "where is it?" Again, Bunny turned to the old mirror.

_"Erimentha, I humbly call, show me the world in which you rule all."_

A beautiful pasture scene emerged from the mirror, a trickling river and even the cliché dear bounding through the field. The sun was high in the sky, there were yellow mountains in the distance, and Sabrina could practically hear the chatter of birds and small animals. It didn't look like a place of death and destruction, so why was the atmosphere around it so tense?

Bunny seemed perturbed. "You must travel to the end of her world and defeat her for the book."

Puck spoke up, "Her? Who is she?"

"The natural guardian of this mirror. She…" Bunny tensed, but quickly composed herself. "She's been trapped in an inhuman body. Hair made of gold, skin of pure diamonds, lips of ruby's, eyes of sapphire… in almost every since of the word, she is perfect. Her father is Midas, I'm sure you've heard of him, and her mother no more than a common witch, so foolish that she fell in love. Erimentha was their love child. But Midas didn't want anything to do with her, he wanted no more children, and the witch was murdered when Erimentha was only seven. Midas auctioned her off, sold her to the highest bider. She was supposed to be a Birthday present for a Prince, but he didn't want her and chose a peasant girl to be his bride instead. The kingdom didn't know what to do with her, so they gave her to me and I made her the guardian of that world.

"There's a prophecy that if she can destroy two people, a male and female child, that she can gain their life in return and become an actual human." Bunny's eyes were dark as she continued. "She'll try and kill you. You'll need to be prepared."

Puck shook his head. "Grimm, something isn't right about this." He narrowed his eyes at the Queen, "She isn't telling us everything, and I've got a gut feeling that this isn't all flowers and bunnies."

The moment he spoke, the mirror started to shake. It was a quiet rattling at first, a simple tremor that shook the mirror and bended its images, but then the whole earth started to tremble. Sabrina and Puck were knocked to their feet, the Queen backing up several paces but maintaining her balance. The candles around the room all caught alight, blazing so brightly that Sabrina winced against their light. When the fire died down, she realized that in the mirror had appeared a young woman.

She was absolutely beautiful. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, flawless skin, pearly white teeth, red lips, and a perfect figure. To Sabrina she looked human enough; clothed in a simple white dress, her feet were bare and her hair was hanging down.

She appraised the two of them carefully, seemingly turning them over in her mind. "Are these Destiny's children?"

The Queen spoke, her voice powerful but her eyes conveying fear. "No, they are not. Leave them be, Erimentha, they are on an errand for me."

"For _Puck,_" Sabrina corrected. The Wicked Queen looked absolutely terrified, and that didn't make any sense. Sure, the woman before them was gorgeous, but she didn't look like she could hurt a fly.

Erimentha looked at her sharply when she spoke, her eyes narrowing. "You have no sense of propriety, do you?" Her gaze abruptly softened, "Have you any idea who I am?"

Puck got to his feet and pulled Sabrina up with him. "You might have skipped the usual formalities."

The girl in the mirror smiled with an old-fashioned politeness that was sweeter than sweet and undeniably kind as her voice flittered throughout the room like a soft blanket of warmth. "I'm your enemy, Daughter of Destiny. I'm all the demented and sick things people dream about. I'm all the sadistic ideas left out to dry, all the musings of the tortured and insane. I'm the monster in your closet, the demon under your bed." She laughed abruptly. "I am the spider, and you are the fly. Welcome to my web of lies."

"Enough," Bunny spoke softly. She turned to Sabrina. "It isn't safe for you to go in there, and I understand if you refuse. The prophecy doesn't leave much room for hope, I'm afraid, and there isn't much I can do to prepare you."

Sabrina cast a wary look towards the smiling figure in the mirror. She had no intentions of backing down, not when things were this desperate, not when they made such little sense. That title, 'Daughter of Destiny'... Sebastian had called her the same thing. She needed answers... and this 'Erminetha' was the one to give them to her.

"And what does this prophecy say, exactly?"

Erimentha's image faded and words appeared in her place.

_"For Destiny's daughter and Destiny's son,_

_Though many battles they have won,_

_Will fall and tremble in the wake_

_Of fevered dreams and twisted fate._

_And when their heads and blood a-tumble_

_The earth will shake, the ground will rumble_

_And precious stones will turn to flesh_

_As life will come through violent death._

_Until this day the mind will rule_

_The truth made weak by crimson jewels."_

"Well, that's cheery," Puck mumbled. He made eye contact with Sabrina. "I really don't like this, Grimm. It feels all wrong to me, like we both aren't going to make it out alive." Puck had started to sweat. Just a few drops on his brow, flushed cheeks, sunken eyes, and the tremor of fever shivering through him as the corner of his eyes crinkled in a pain he was too proud to admit to.

"But if I don't do this then what happens to you?" She protested.

Puck bit his lips, eyes downcast for a moment in thought before looking back at her, "Maybe someone back home in Faieree can heal me. Maybe…" He swallowed hard, eyebrows scrunching and breathing becoming slightly labored. The Wicked Queen was right, Puck wouldn't last long.

Sabrina shook her head, "I don't like 'maybe', Puck. If I do this quickly enough, we can get out and then save Granny Relda. It's a win win."

"Who's to say she's not lying?" Puck persisted. "About me dying, about the book, about the Old Lady... everything."

"And if she isn't? I've spent a lot of time distrusting people, you know that better than anyone, and a lot of people I care about have gotten hurt because of it. I won't take the chance." She turned to Bunny, determined. "How much time do I have to do this?"

Bunny replied without hesitation, "Three days, nine hours, and thirty four minutes."

"What happens when I run out of time?"

Bunny looked at Puck. "He'll die."

Sabrina winced at the curtness of her words. "I don't think I'll be able to keep track of the time in the mirror," She explained. Bunny reached out and turned over the girl's palm. The tingle of magic graced through her fingertips and into the tendons of her hand. She yanked back her hand as the witch's grip started to burn, then dark numbers shimmered and appeared on her wrist. "3;9;34" The last number wavered slightly and changed to "3;9;33"

"And you promise that if I can get it to you in that time you'll heal him?" She could've sworn she saw the queen wince.

"I promise nothing, but I shall do my best."

"No offense," Puck spoke up with dark eyes and a leery glare at the Queen, "But your best doesn't sound very good to me."

Bunny sneered coldly. "My best is the best you've got."

~Sisters Grimm~

Bunny Lancaster stared at her reflection in the mirror. In the beginning her fascination with mirrors was simply born out of vanity. She liked to look at herself –and why shouldn't she? She _was_ beautiful, after all. But now as the Queen appraised herself –the thinning face, the blood-shot eyes, the graying hair –she didn't feel the comfort of her own appearance. She felt dread.

Atticus was coming for her, that was fact. He had said as much the last time she'd seen him and now that those little Grimm brats had let him out of his bondage he would make good on that threat.

Bunny pawed absentmindedly at her neck as the thought of Atticus wringing his hands around her flooded through her mind. That boy was out for blood, and with the rage that fueled his delusional mind he would get it. He would get her.

Of course, she deserved it. She was the one who made him into the monster he was.

He had run away from home. After his brother, William Charming, had been married Atticus felt neglected. He traded his rubies and his rhinestones for the rot and ruin of the real world in a feeble attempt to find his purpose and, instead, found her. He'd wandered into her domain completely clueless as to the history between her and his brother's wife, Snow White. And she, like an idiot, had been too egocentric to pass up a chance at making others pay for her distress.

Bunny rubbed at her eyes as she stared at the face in the mirror. He'd been so innocent then, so impressionable. Their first encounter flashed through her mind.

_~She had been strolling through the manicured gardens of the castle, breaking off flowers that were anything less than perfect, when she'd heard a twig snap. For some reason the simple sound made the hairs on the back of her neck erect. She immediately whipped around, her hand hovering by her magic, and came face to face with a boy. He was thin and gangly, his cheeks were sunken and his burning blue eyes were bright and electrifying, his red hair was strewn with leaves and dirt. In his hand was a small dagger, the sunlight slightly bouncing off of it. He was staring at her, his fingers changing their grip on the knife nervously. _

_"Put that away," Bunny spoke in an authoritative tone. The boy didn't listen, his eyes darting around as if looking for a way out. He seemed to steel himself and parted his dry lips to speak._

_"I d-demand gold!" He had yelled with a crack in his voice. _

_Bunny waved her hand dismissively, "I don't care what you demand, put that away before you get hurt."_

_He shook his head, fingers tightening around the blade. "Not until you give me-"_

_"Gold? Fine," Bunny took off the pouch hanging from her waist and threw a sack of gold coins at the boy. He jumped back surprised and the money scattered across the ground. Feverishly he dropped the dagger and got on his knees, desperately grabbing at the pieces._

_Bunny rolled her eyes, as the boy looked back up at her tentatively. "T-thank you," he stuttered as he picked himself up off of the floor._

_"You aren't very good at this robbing thing, are you boy?" Bunny asked, her eyebrow raising slightly. The blush that tinged the kid's face made her smile. There was something endearing about this innocent child that made her think twice about having him hung for his crimes. _

_"Your name?"_

_"Atticus," he murmured, now nervous. "Atticus Charming. Please don't kill me, I just-"_

_"Are you hungry?" She interrupted him. She knew well of his parentage and the wheels of revenge were spinning quickly in her head. When he nodded she motioned for him to follow her.~_

That was how it started. Her kindness had been a façade, of course, as it always was. Her real motive was to use the boy as a tool for her revenge. She'd poisoned him, ever so slightly, to become the monster she needed him to be. The fabled poison apple she'd become so famous for rearing it's ugly head once again. The whole time he was painfully oblivious to the small bits of bad magic, and also to her manipulation of his good nature into something darker and sadistic. She would send him back to the Charming's and he would take the throne in her name, making Snow White pay for all she'd done to destroy her.

But the magic had done its job all too well. Atticus had become a thing of fiction, and impossible for her to control. He'd began killing the innocent and making a joke of it. He made the whole kingdom cower in fear. So, she'd locked him up with Mirror in an attempt to squelch his evil until it suited her best and Atticus hated her for it. Atticus was smart, however, and he twisted Mirror's mind and soul to be just as evil as he. He convinced the man to hate the world and to hate being a prisoner. He and Mirror bonded, if what the two did could be called that, and Mirror pledged his allegiance to Atticus.

That was what began everything. That was why Mirror had gone so far out of the way to free Atticus, that was how this whole foolish notion of a war had begun. That was why Bunny's world was crumbling around her. When Atticus escaped and killed Charming in the original story Bunny had to face what she had done. She and Snow White had locked him up inside the Book of Everafter in an attempt to hide what had truly happened. Atticus might have been out of her world, but never out of her mind. The last words he'd spoken to her were haunting:

_~Atticus gave a roar and tossed over a bookshelf, its magic contents spilling and colliding, creating a noxious gas that foamed and rose into the air. Bunny fell back into the wall, her sleeve snapping up to her face as coughs racked through her body and her eyes started to burn. It was too late. The spells had already been cast and were taking effect. Atticus' form shimmered and flicked before her as the Book took him captive and tried to burry him within its pages. He looked at her, his intense blue eyes glowing white hot as betrayal and anger flashed within them. _

_"Mother," he said –because that's what she had become to him after all those years –"you would do this to your son? A son that has shown nothing but allegiance to you since the beginning?"_

_"You…" Bunny coughed again, "You are not my son." The moment those words left her mouth she saw something break in Atticus. Perhaps it was the last string of sanity in him that she'd just snapped, or perhaps it was just her imagination, but his entire aura changed in an instant. Atticus' wavering form reached out and grabbed her by the neck._

_"So be it," He growled at her. "When I return, remember this. You denied me, not I you, and for that I will spare you nothing."_

_And then he was gone.~_

Bunny looked past her reflection in the mirror and looked towards the two children had just passed through. When she thought of the fairy she felt a twinge of guilt. She didn't particularly want him to die, but she was powerless to stop it with or without the book. The book was for her, to protect herself from Atticus. There was no spell that could save him; and if there was, she didn't know about it.

Of course, Jacob Grimm knew her intentions. She'd tried to play on all of her old charms and flirtatious tricks to keep the sharp-minded man off of her scent. It had worked; not as well as she would've liked, but it worked nonetheless. He still trusted her about as far as he could throw her, but she didn't pose a threat to him anymore. She had manipulated him and his family just like she'd manipulated Atticus: for her own selfish purpose. She hadn't learned her lesson, and people were about to pay for that with their lives.

Bunny shook her head absent-mindedly. No, guilt didn't become her. It was their own fault for being so naïve. To think a wicked Queen had your best interest at heart, to think she was so easily smitten... that was their fault alone.

She moved back through the tunnel system and into the room of mirrors, a strange feeling yanking at her stomach. Pulling her hair back into its tight bun she debated going back to bed, but her spirit was too unsettled. Instead, she pulled out a book and started to read.

Those two children had better not fail. _Her_ life was depending on it.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>My, that was long. So, if you've read one of my Sisters Grimm one shots "Basketball" you might've heard about Barney. He's my friend's pet chinchilla. Well, he got stung by a scorpian, so now he's at the vet. Prayers for Barnery please! I love that little guy :(<strong>**

****Oh, I almost forgot. I'M A BETA READER NOW! I'm so excited! So if you want anything beta'd and what not, you know who to call! :D****

**PEACE! GOD BLESS! iizninja**


End file.
